Obama: Captured Benghazi suspect to face full US justice

U.S. Special Operations forces captured one of the suspected ringleaders of the terrorist attacks in Benghazi in a secret raid in Libya over the weekend, the first time one of the accused perpetrators of the 2012 assault has been apprehended, according to U.S. officials in a Washington Post...

+ captionA Libyan civilian watches one of Ansar al-Shariah Brigades cars on fire, after hundreds of Libyans, Libyan Military, and Police raided the Brigades base, in Benghazi, Libya, Friday, Sept. 21, 2012. The recent attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans has sparked a backlash among frustrated Libyans against the heavily armed gunmen, including Islamic extremists, who run rampant in their cities. More than 10,000 people poured into a main boulevard of Benghazi, demanding that militias disband as the public tries to do what Libya's weak central government has been unable to. (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says the captured Libyan militant suspected of killing Americans in Benghazi will face the full weight of the American justice system.

Obama says he authorized an operation in Libya to detain Ahmed Abu Khattala. His capture marks the first apprehension of an alleged perpetrator in the 2012 attack that killed U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Obama says his capture is a testament to the painstaking efforts of U.S. security officials. He says the U.S. has demonstrated it will do whatever it takes to bring justice to those who harm Americans.

Obama says in a statement that the U.S. will continue to track down those responsible for the attacks. He says the U.S. must support the Libyan people as they work to build a democracy.